Unseasonably warm temperatures caused by El Nino in the western United States are impacting even the coldest areas of North America. A lack of snow in Anchorage, Alaska, is forcing organizers of the famous Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race to ship in tons of snow by train for the event's ceremonial start.
"It’s no secret that warm temperatures for days on end have further eroded what little snow cover existed on the trail system here in Anchorage,” Stan Hooley, Iditarod CEO, said in a statement.
According to the Alaska Dispatch News, a train will deliver seven rail cars loaded with 300 cubic yards of snow from Fairbanks to Anchorage on Thursday.